{"id":32448,"date":"2022-12-31T00:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-31T00:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=32448"},"modified":"2023-01-02T16:39:12","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T16:39:12","slug":"better-sleep-for-kids-starts-with-better-sleep-for-parents-especially-after-holiday-disruptions-to-routines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/better-sleep-for-kids-starts-with-better-sleep-for-parents-especially-after-holiday-disruptions-to-routines\/","title":{"rendered":"Better sleep for kids starts with better sleep for parents \u2013 especially after holiday disruptions to\u00a0routines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Erika Bocknek<\/a>, Wayne State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone knows that sleep is critical for growing children<\/a> and their mental and physical health. Regular, high-quality sleep habits help children consolidate memory<\/a> and learn better. A lack of sleep<\/a> contributes to childhood depression, anxiety and even risk of suicide, along with physical health problems, including risk of injury. The challenge is making sure kids log those valuable zzz\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three main components of high-quality sleep<\/a> for children. First, they need enough total hours \u2013 sleep duration. Sleep quality is important, too \u2013 sleeping soundly during the night with few disruptions or awakenings. And, finally, there\u2019s sleep timing<\/a> \u2013 essentially, a consistent schedule, with bedtime and risetime about the same across the whole week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when you know how important good sleep is, it\u2019s easy for sleep duration, quality and timing to get knocked off track. It can happen for infrequent reasons, such as the pleasant chaos of a holiday, or the disturbances that accompany pandemic life<\/a>. Healthy sleep habits are hard to maintain for everyday mundane reasons, too, such as parent-child disagreement, busy schedules and older children\u2019s leisurely weekend behavior. But there are ways for families to get sleep back on course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a child development researcher<\/a> and family therapist, I study parenting and family behaviors that create healthy environments for children\u2019s sleep patterns<\/a>. In particular, I help parents to develop consistent and nurturing routines. Sleep patterns are set early, and parents play an important role in nurturing children\u2019s perspectives and attitudes. Here\u2019s the overarching advice I share with families, no matter the age of their kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"yawning<\/a>
Grown-ups can\u2019t ignore their own sleep hygiene while expecting kids to stick with the rules. Boy_Anupong\/Moment via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Set and model family values about sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Children are observant learners. They pay very careful attention to both the spoken and unspoken rules of their clan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get everyone in the household sleeping well, sleep can\u2019t be something that only children must care about, while adults who have freedom and power<\/a> joke about their own unhealthy habits. If sleep seems like punishment, rather than the gift for health that it is, children will be likely to resist it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adults need to talk the talk and walk the walk that sleep is a priority for everyone in the family. Be a role model. If you\u2019ve fallen into a habit of binge-watching TV into the wee hours, for instance, work on reining that in. Use positive language about your own sleep. Pay attention to what you say, and what you communicate through your own habits, reinforcing that it\u2019s important to the whole family to get sleep and have energy for the next day. Don\u2019t make the mistake of discussing bedtime as a chance for adults to get distance from the kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Know your child<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remember, every kid is unique, so don\u2019t expect one-size-fits-all sleep advice to work universally. A child\u2019s temperament plays a significant role<\/a> in the duration, quality and timing of their sleep. For instance, a feistier child may not adapt as quickly to a sleep schedule over the first year. And temperament is a pretty stable part of who your child is and will continue to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A parent\u2019s job is to keep encouraging routines and setting limits \u2013 but with ongoing warmth and sensitivity about the characteristics of the one-of-a-kind child you have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re exhausted and struggling with a child\u2019s behavior, it can be hard to stay positive. My recommendation is to use the daytime hours wisely as investment in your relationship. Be proactive about noticing the good in your kid. Remind yourself that your child is their own person, learning in lots of ways throughout the day, and that child development is a marathon, not a sprint, for positive change. Sleep regressions or other sleep difficulties, like night awakening or changes in sleep habits<\/a>, are opportunities for growth, not punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By laying this groundwork, it becomes easier to tap into a positive and respectful attitude during times of stress. Remind yourself that change over time is more important than control over a given moment. After all, strained parent-child relationships can actually lead to continuing sleep and behavioral problems<\/a> in young children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"boy<\/a>
Strengthening your relationship during the day supports healthy sleep at night. Hill Street Studios\/DigitalVision via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Aim for consistency, with some flexibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my practice, I see two common \u2013 but opposite \u2013 mistakes that parents make around sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, many parents let go of rules and boundaries altogether. Often this happens as a result of what children bring to the equation: personal temperament or age-related phenomena. For instance, the peak in behavioral aggression that can come in toddlerhood<\/a> or the shift in sleep timing that comes in adolescence<\/a> can cause some parents to just throw in the towel and give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, other parents become rigid. They see conflict around sleep as a struggle for power that the adult must win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I argue that balance is key. Parents should adopt a consistent approach that fits with the sleep values they\u2019ve been clear about all along. But they must also remain flexible to help children adapt routines to their own unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, all children at all ages should have a regular bedtime and risetime<\/a>. However, parents may be open to a collaborative plan with older children about what those times should be, or attending to patterns and cues from younger children, working on a reasonable compromise that takes into account the needs of the individual child<\/a>. Parents\u2019 message about the importance of sleep should never waiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Manage household issues that influence sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"child<\/a>
Blue light before bed prevents a young body from winding down. Dejan_Dundjerski\/iStock via Getty Images Plus<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Research shows that certain problems outside the bedroom create immediate and long-term risk for children\u2019s sleep quality. These include exposure to second-hand smoke<\/a>, excessive or evening-timed blue light exposure from screens<\/a> and conflict in the home<\/a>. Dealing with these factors will likely pay dividends when it comes to your kids getting a good night\u2019s sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good sleep hygiene is a family affair. It\u2019s never too late to nudge habits in a good direction and recommit to everyone getting the rest they need. Your child\u2019s sleep habits can be a critical building block of lifelong wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erika Bocknek<\/a>, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Wayne State University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Erika Bocknek, Wayne State University Everyone knows that sleep is critical for growing children and their mental and physical health. Regular, high-quality sleep habits help children consolidate memory and learn better. A lack of sleep contributes to childhood depression, anxiety and even risk of suicide, along with physical health problems, including risk of injury. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":32449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[42],"tags":[13244,8518,1033,11489,13247,1034,13243,7942,231,13245,13246,9939],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32448"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32448"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32462,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32448\/revisions\/32462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}